What is the most likely cause of dead or dying animals at or near the scene of a known or suspected terrorist incident?

The most likely cause of dead or dying animals at or near the scene of a known or suspected terrorist incident is often a chemical release. In incidents involving chemical agents, exposure to toxic substances can lead to rapid and severe physiological effects in living organisms, including both humans and animals. Chemicals may cause respiratory distress, neurological damage, and other life-threatening conditions, resulting in the immediate death or visible suffering of animals in the vicinity of the release.

In terrorist incidents, toxic chemicals may be used deliberately to cause harm, creating an environment that is immediately hazardous. Animals, being more sensitive to certain chemicals due to their smaller size and different physiological responses, can exhibit signs of distress or mortality quickly after exposure. The presence of dead or dying animals can serve as an indicator of the severity of the chemical threat.

While radiation exposure, physical trauma, and biological agents could also lead to animal fatalities, they typically involve different scenarios or mechanisms of action. Radiation exposure affects cell structures over time, physical trauma would require a direct source of impact, and biological agents typically manifest symptoms over a longer period and may not result in immediate deaths. Thus, in the context of a terrorist incident where rapid animal mortality is observed, a chemical release stands out as the most plausible explanation.